Durham Sports Commission Celebrates Black History Month with Panel Discussions

Durham Sports Commission Celebrates Black History Month with Panel Discussions 

Trip Durham to Facilitate the “DSC Bull Sessions” About Race, Social Justice, and the History of Sports in Durham  

 February 2, 2021 – In recognition of Black History Month, the Durham Sports Commission (DSC) will host two virtual panels this month to explore the accomplishments and impact of Black athletes, coaches, and changemakers from Durham.

The first roundtable discussions, titled “The Impact of Society in College Athletics,” will center on the world of collegiate athletics with participation from respected athletic administrators and national leadership. The taping is linked here. The second panel focuses more on the influence and history of sport in the Durham community with prominent contributors weighing in on various issues. The second recording is linked here.

“We’re always striving to find more innovative ways to reinforce how sports create social impact and can be transformative for the community at large,” said Marcus Manning, executive director of the DSC. “If you appreciate sports and sports history, you know how athletic events and teams often find a way to bring people together, address change head-on, and pave the way for social progress. Black History Month offers an opportunity for us to dive in deeper on complex, timely topics – I encourage sports fans and casual viewers alike to tune in and learn more about the immediate impression sports are having in shaping Durham and communities across the country.” 

With two storied NCAA Division I programs in Durham, the DSC found it important for the first discussion to concentrate on college athletics. Panelists include Nina King, Senior Deputy Director of Athletics/Administration at Duke University; Troy Austin, Senior Associate Director of Athletics/Internal Affairs at Duke University; Dr. Ingrid Wicker-McCree, Director of Athletics at North Carolina Central University; and Stan Johnson, Executive Director of the Minority Opportunities Athletic Association (MOAA). MOAA is under the umbrella of the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics, an association that aims to provide opportunities and exchange ideas, advocate increased participation and administrative opportunities for minorities in athletics. The panel will focus its discussion on student-athlete welfare, the lack of minority hiring in athletics, the ongoing significance of social justice movements, and trailblazing contributions of John B. McLendon who pioneered basketball’s full court press offense and other strategies as a coach at NCCU (then North Carolina College).  

The second panel discussion concerning the intersection of sports and community will be shared towards the end of the month. Confirmed panelists include Omar Beasley, Chairman of the Durham Committee on the Affairs of Black People; Umar Muhammad, Founder of USports Consulting and Faculty Athletic Representative at Saint Augustine’s University; and Susan Scott, Chief Growth Officer at UNC-TV. Additional panelist(s) are expected to be added as the filming date approaches. This conversation will be centered on sports impact for youth and minority populations, access to facilities and programming, and celebrate the achievements of local past and present Black athletes.  

Both conversations will be facilitated by Trip Durham, founder of 2D Consulting, LLC, and the current public address announcer for Duke Athletics. Durham was previously the President of the National Association of Collegiate Marketing Administrators (NACMA) and the Associate Director of Athletics at Elon University. 

Each discussion is expected to be approximately an hour to 45 minutes in length and will be published across the DSC’s website as well as YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts. The Black History Month roundtable conversations will be the first installments of “DSC Bull Sessions,” a new storytelling initiative from the sports commission that will showcase and explore various topics that are important to the community.  

Duke Selected as NCAA Championship Site

Duke Selected as NCAA Championship Site for 2023 National Collegiate Fencing Championships and 2025 NCAA Division I Field Hockey Championship

 

October 14, 2020 (DURHAM, N.C.) – Duke University has been selected as host sites for the 2023 NCAA Fencing Championship and the 2025 NCAA Division I Field Hockey Championship, as announced by NCAA officials Wednesday. Bids to host the championships were jointly submitted by Duke University and the Durham Sports Commission (DSC) to continue to attract the highest level of collegiate sports competition to the Bull City.

The fencing championship comes to Durham for the first time since 1966 when Duke hosted the men’s-only team championship, while field hockey will host for the first time in program history. The 2023 National Collegiate Fencing Championship will be hosted on Coach K Court at historic Cameron Indoor Stadium, which will also be home to the 2022 ACC Fencing Championships. The field hockey event will be played at Williams Field at Jack Katz Stadium, complete with one of the best watering systems in the country, a state-of-the-art sound system and a new scoreboard. Williams Field at Jack Katz Stadium is also slated to host the 2020 ACC Field Hockey Championship.

“We are so thrilled to have won the bid for the 2023 NCAA Fencing Championships,” fencing head coach Alex Beguinet said. “Duke University has a reputation of hosting great events. Our annual home fencing meet is one of the best collegiate fencing competitions in the country. Our athletic facilities and event staff are among the best nationwide. We feel confident that between Duke and the city of Durham, this event will be amazing!”

“I’m so proud and thrilled to be able to hold a national championship here in Durham,” field hockey head coach Pam Bustin said. “Duke provides a great environment for the championship, not only our stadium, but the surrounding community. We couldn’t be more proud of our game operations crew, our facility, the city of Durham and everyone involved for making this possible.”

Duke and the DSC traveled to NCAA headquarters in September 2019 to network with championship managers and learn from the governing body what was expected of championship winning bids. Beyond having state-of-the-art facilities, communities bidding on events were expected to be engaged and welcoming to the student-athletes, creating a one-of-a-kind experience for all involved.

 “This announcement is huge for both programs and Durham at large, as we know these championship events bring significant economic impact, support local jobs, and help drive sports culture in the community,” said Susan Amey, president & CEO of Discover Durham, managing partner of the DSC. “We were thrilled to have the opportunity to collaborate with Duke and put forth two winning bids.”

“Durham has a rich and storied sports history, which these two national championships will contribute to as we prepare for them in the years to come,” said Alyssa Duke, senior manager of events and operations at the DSC. “Durham has an active fencing community with some local facilities and clubs. We also know that the ACC and surrounding area is a hotbed for field hockey, with more girls in the area getting involved with the sport. We’re excited for both events to further engage the community while championing Durham as a premier destination for elite sporting events.”

This NCAA championship bid cycle marked the first time Duke and the DSC were able to partner on submitting applications, as the DSC was established only four years ago.

For additional media information, please contact Mike DeGeorge (Duke) and Margaret Pentrack (DSC). For more information about Duke Athletics, please visit GoDuke.com. More information about the DSC can be found at DurhamNCSports.com.

About Durham Sports Commission

The Durham Sports Commission (DSC) is a collaboration of the City of Durham, the County of Durham, the Greater Durham Chamber of Commerce and Discover Durham. The DSC was established in 2016 as a 501(c)(3) with a mission to create economic and social impact by leading the community’s efforts to attract, support, and promote youth, amateur, collegiate, and professional sporting and recreational events. The DSC provides leadership for sports-based initiatives and create positive economic impact and quality of life in Durham and the surrounding region. Be sure to follow the DSC on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to keep up with all sports-related news in Durham, NC, and other announcements.

 

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Durham Sports Commission Names Marcus Manning As Executive Director

Durham Sports Commission Names Marcus Manning As Executive Director

October 15, 2020 (DURHAM, N.C.) – The Durham Sports Commission (DSC) today announced Marcus Manning as its next Executive Director, effective October 19. As the nonprofit’s second-ever executive director, Manning is charged with carrying out the DSC’s mission. He will lead efforts to create economic and social impact in Durham by strengthening Durham’s sports culture, expanding access to sports for Durham residents, and attracting and cultivating sporting events of all levels in the Bull City that support local businesses and jobs.

“Strategic leadership is more important than ever, especially now for the sports and sports tourism industries, which have been stalled since the onset of the pandemic,” said Susan Amey, President and CEO of Discover Durham, which manages the DSC. “We’re thrilled for Marcus to step into the position. He brings a wealth of experience and an innovative mindset, which will help the Durham sports scene rebound by crafting what sporting events and sports culture need to look like as we recover.”

Manning was most recently the Director of Athletics and Recreation at Centenary College of Louisiana, leading 17 varsity programs, 26 staff members and over 250 student-athletes. During his tenure, Manning served as the lead administrator for lacrosse, soccer, softball, and Gold Dome capital projects.

“I’m humbled and honored to be named the new Executive Director of the DSC,” said Manning. “I want to thank Discover Durham President & CEO, Susan Amey, Board Chair, Dan Hill, and all of the board of directors for sharing their vision and providing me with this transformational opportunity. Going through the interview process, I was excited to learn that Durham embraces diversity and inclusion, encourages creativity and innovation, and has a strong passion for sports. I’m looking forward to putting my hard hat on, going to work, and being a great teammate to the sports commission and Discover Durham as well as the City and County of Durham.”

Prior to Centenary, Manning served as Maryville University’s Director of Athletics and Vice President for Athletics and Recreation. There, he managed the Saints’ operating, recruiting, scholarship, and fundraising budgets, helped design and implement two three-year strategic plans, and established the Saints Booster Club. Manning also assisted in the design, budgeting, and construction of four major athletic facility upgrades. Under his leadership, Maryville saw academic and athletic success, winning the NCAA President’s Award for Academic Success five times in six years and earning NCAA DII Tournament bids in women’s basketball, men’s soccer, softball, and men’s wrestling.

Dan Hill, DSC Board Chair noted, “The board was unanimously impressed with Marcus Manning’s skillset. From strategic planning and development to leadership and focusing on community, he has achieved success after success, and we look forward to seeing him shine in Durham.”

Manning has served on several boards, committees and councils during his career, including the Minority Opportunities Athletics Association (MOAA), NCAA Pathway Program Selection Committee, Division 2 Athletic Directors Association Board of Directors (D2ADA) Committee, NCAA Foundation for the Future Task Force, National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) Executive Committee and USA Cheer-STUNT Advisory Board.

Manning has been honored for his service on campus and within the community, most recently being named the Centenary College 2020 David Womack Leadership Award winner and 2019 Shreveport-Bossier Sports Commission Pride Award winner.

For more about the DSC, please visit www.durhamncsports.com.

About Durham Sports Commission
The Durham Sports Commission (DSC) is a collaboration of the City of Durham, the County of Durham, the Greater Durham Chamber of Commerce and Discover Durham. The DSC was established in 2016 as a 501(c)(3) with a mission to create economic and social impact by leading the community’s efforts to attract, support, and promote youth, amateur, collegiate, and professional sporting and recreational events. The DSC provides leadership for sports-based initiatives and create positive economic impact and quality of life in Durham and the surrounding region. Be sure to follow the DSC on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to keep up with all sports-related news in Durham, NC, and other announcements.

 

Battle of the Blues: Duke vs UNC

Even if you live far outside of the boundaries of Durham/Orange County, you’d better figure out which blue you bleed, and quick.

The rivalry between the Duke University Blue Devils and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Tar Heels has permeated all types of playing fields, courts, pitches, and stadiums for decades. It’s why students huddle together for warmth in makeshift tents outside Cameron Indoor Stadium, taking shifts to take showers. It’s only during the sweet winter months, however, that we get to see it all play out on the unforgiving hardwood.

 

 

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People try to joke about it to relieve the inescapable, palpable tension — but it’s real. We’re not the only ones who acknowledge these tales as far more than those of lore. This history has been told, retold, dissected, and argued for quite some time, and will continue to be for seasons to come.

Relive the rivalry’s storied history, and then pick your side. Every year, every game is sure to be a wild ride; you may as well experience it first hand in the Bull City.

 

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They call this the Tobacco Road nemeses. Duke University and UNC sit just eight miles apart and have been playing each other for almost 100 years. At the start of last season, UNC was No. 3 on the all-time wins list. Duke was No. 4. The two schools have combined for 38 of the 65 ACC tournament titles and 50 regular season crowns, made it to 36 Final Fours and claimed 11 national championships. All this after the series between the two began in the 1919-20 season.

Both schools have supported and cultivated renowned talent. Michael Jordan (a member of the NCAA championship team in 1982) and other Carolina greats like Vince Carter, Rasheed Wallace, and Rick Fox donned the lighter color blue. But Kyrie Irving, J.J. Redick, Jay Bilas, Shane Battier, Bobby Hurley, Grant Hill, and Christian Laettner played for the Blue Devils with pride. The list continues, with extraordinary freshman talent adorning Duke’s roster this season, and Carolina contending with remarkable players to call their own.

The culture of the schools are different, of course, but the passion of their fans is remarkably similar: it’s unquenchable. Southern Living named it “The Most Famous Basketball Rivalry in the South.”

What to wear

If you need something in a royal blue, you can find everything you might need at Duke University Stores.

 

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When and where the action will happen

The Duke men’s basketball team will take on Carolina on March 9 at Cameron Indoor Stadium, and the game will be televised on ESPN.

Don your best Duke or Carolina hue and pack your venue of choice with the best places in Durham to catch the action.

Maverick’s Smokehouse and Taproom

Located at 900 West Main Street downtown, Maverick’s features multi-state BBQ, a full bar, and numerous TVs. There’s also is an outdoor patio (equipped with a second bar) and a projector they put to use for the big games, weather permitting, complete with fire pits so you can enjoy the outdoors even if there’s still a chill in the air.

Bull Durham Bar

Located in the Washington Duke Inn at the Duke Golf Club, this is a favorite hangout for Duke fans, and the public is welcome to watch all the games.

 

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Carolina Ale House

Situated prominently on U.S. 15/501 on the way to Chapel Hill, Carolina Ale House draws its fair share of Tar Heel fans, and with more than 50 TVs you won’t miss anything during the frenetic opening rounds when multiple games are being played simultaneously.

Clouds Brewing

Most breweries are known more for their beer than their television selection, but Clouds’ spacious new location on Main Street is an exception as 33 HD screens line every wall and hang from the ceiling. Throw in a full menu and craft brews; this is a great place to relax and catch some sports.

Dain’s Place

Ranked by Complex magazine as one of the 25 best bars near a college campus, Dain’s, located in the Ninth Street district, is an obvious choice for Duke fans who are looking to join in a cheer with their dark blue brethren. Every game will play on one of four TVs — did we mention more than 80 American microbrews are available?

 

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Devine’s Grill and Sports Bar

Another Brightleaf area hangout, Devine’s has been a favorite for locals since 1978. Enjoy pub favorites like wings and burgers while watching the tournament.

Fullsteam Brewery

Fullsteam’s big screen will be tuned to March Madness while our teams play and you enjoy a homegrown Durham brew. The Humidity Pale Ale, the Rocket Science IPA, and the Paycheck Pilsner are always on tap in addition to seasonal specials made with local ingredients.

Tobacco Road Sports Café

Tobacco Road serves fresh, local food surrounded by a wall of TVs – all in a location overlooking the Durham Bulls Athletic Park across from the American Tobacco Campus.

Learn more about Durham sports here.

Featured image by Reagan Lunn.

City of Champions

Durham is a great place for sports – one of its names is City of Champions.

Durham is home to national championships, hall-of-fame coaches, the site of the first interracial basketball game, more state high school basketball titles than any other community in the state, and the backdrop for the best sports movie of all time according to many outlets.

The Duke University Blue Devils compete in 25 NCAA Division I sports in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), but the Duke men’s basketball team and its home arena, Cameron Indoor Stadium, are the most notable. That team’s resume includes four NCAA championships, 10 NCAA championship games, 15 Final Fours, 11 national players of the year, and 71 players selected in the NBA draft.

The Durham Bulls Baseball Club, founded in 1902, is the Triple-A baseball affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays and is the most famous minor league baseball team in the country thanks to Bull Durham, the best sports movie of all time according to Sports Illustrated. The team plays 72 of 144 regular season home games at the 10,000 seat Durham Bulls Athletic Park. In 2009, the Bulls won their first Triple-A national championship and in 2011 earned their 6,000th win in franchise history.

The North Carolina Central University Eagles compete in 14 men’s and women’s NCAA sports as members of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC). In 2012, NCCU completed a five-year transition to the NCAA Division I (Football Subdivision), which will bring even more national recognition to the historically black university.

With so many great sports teams, it’s easy to cheer for a hometown favorite. Sports enthusiasts can get tickets to local or home games and view the action live and in person!

USATF National Championships

On June 25-30, 2019,  the Durham Sports Commission hosted Durham’s first national championship at Durham County Memorial Stadium. The following is the press release for the event after the bid was secured and preparations began almost two years prior.

Durham to Host 2019 USATF National Youth Outdoor Championships

Event Expected to Draw as Many as 4,500 Athletes, Generate Upwards of $7 Million in Economic Impact

INDIANAPOLIS/DURHAM, NC (Monday, December 4, 2017) – USA Track & Field (USATF) today announced Durham, North Carolina, will host the 2019 USATF National Youth Outdoor Track & Field Championships at Durham County Memorial Stadium on June 25-30, 2019. The Durham Sports Commission led the successful bid, and will captain the local organizing committee that includes participation from the North Carolina USATF Association, Durham County Memorial Stadium and Stadium Authority, Durham Convention & Visitors Bureau, City of Durham, and Durham County. As many as 4,500 athletes, aged 7-18, are expected to travel to Durham and compete in the event, which would generate a forecasted economic impact of over $7 million.

“With the incredible track and field community we have in Durham and across the state, it was a part of DSC’s early goals – to set the foundation for a great, long-lasting relationship with USATF and bid on its national championships,” said Executive Director of the Durham Sports Commission, Ashleigh Bachert. “The event will showcase Durham to thousands of visitors, filling 18,000 room nights over six days, as well as support and engage our active amateur clubs.”

The USATF National Youth Outdoor Championships are open to all youth athletes. The meet has performance guidelines but no strict qualifying standards, making the event attractive to those who can register without having to attend other qualification events. Durham County Memorial Stadium will also be a draw, as the venue is conveniently located near host hotels, Raleigh-Durham International Airport, major interstates, and Durham’s other all-star amenities. The multi-use facility has a rich history of hosting events at all levels, including other high-caliber track and field events like the Powerade State Games, NC USATF Senior Games Championship, USATF Regionals, and the annual Russell E. Blunt East Coast Invitational Track and Field Meet.

“We’re thrilled to welcome USATF and thousands of our nation’s best athletes and their families to Durham,” said Shelly Green, President & CEO, DCVB. “The successful bid is a testament to the hard work of the DSC, as well as to those who worked behind the scenes for years with a vision to create such an organization to champion sports-based initiatives that benefit the community.”

DSC’s work to secure the 2019 USATF National Youth Outdoor Championships aligns with its mission to create economic, social, and community impact by leading Durham’s efforts to attract, support and promote sporting events. Since its inception in August 2016, DSC’s effect has been immediate, servicing Durham-based events as well as recruiting national associations and event owners to the area. The nonprofit organization has already been recognized by SportsEvents magazine, the nation’s leading industry publication, as a 2018 Readers’ Choice Award winner for its dedication to youth and amateur sports.

Other events DSC will host or support on a national stage prior to the 2019 USATF National Youth Outdoor Championships include the 2018 United States Women’s Curling Association National Meeting and Bonspiel, the first time the championship event will be hosted south of Virginia, as well as the ACC Baseball Championship’s Fan Fest, returning to the Durham Bulls Athletic Park in 2018.

Brave Buckets: Durham’s Secret Game

Learn about the first interracial basketball game in the Jim Crow South in this WUNC feature about North Carolina Central University’s John McLendon.

The following feature is by Anita Rao, Frank Stasio, and Jess Clark. It was published by WUNC on April 23, 2015. Head to their website to listen to the radio interview Stasio did about this story for WUNC’s The State of Things.

Over seven decades of breaking barriers in basketball

On a Sunday morning in March 1944, most of Durham, North Carolina was in church. That’s the way basketball coach John McLendon wanted it when his all-black college team from North Carolina Central University (then the North Carolina College for Negroes) faced off against an all-white team from Duke University’s medical school.

The game would be the first interracial college basketball game in the Jim Crow South, and it had to be kept a secret. McLendon even locked the doors behind the teams after they entered the gymnasium.

The story of McLendon and this historic game is the subject of historian Scott Ellsworth‘s book, “The Secret Game: A Basketball Story in Black and White” (Little, Brown and Company/ 2015). Ellsworth met Coach McLendon while researching for a book about the 1957 NCAA Final Four. Ellsworth told Frank Stasio of WUNC’s The State of Things that he was interviewing McLendon in his Ohio home when the elderly man pulled out a list of racial firsts he had accomplished, including first black basketball coach in the professional leagues, first assistant U.S. Olympic basketball coach and first coach to win a desegregated tournament at the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA).

“McLendon is the most important person in basketball that no one has ever heard of,” Ellsworth said. When McLendon told Ellsworth about the “secret game,” Ellsworth knew that he had to change his research focus. He set off on a decades-long journey to document the history of basketball, and his research reveals that McLendon’s coaching revolutionized the game.

“John McLendon is this genius,” Ellsworth said. “College basketball teams in World War II would maybe score 50 points a game; his team is scoring 60, 70, 80. They beat St. Augustine’s 119-26.”

McLendon revved up the fast break, used a full-court press before anyone else and had his players run as part of their training before it was common practice, Ellsworth said. As a result, the North Carolina College Eagles became the highest scoring college basketball team in the world.

“He [McLendon] says, ‘I’m going to create a whole new, super-revved-up kind of basketball… and we’re going to play basketball like nobody’s ever seen before.’ And they did,” Ellsworth said.

But because they were black, they couldn’t play in many college tournaments, such as the NCAA tournament. That meant most of America didn’t know about what McLendon was doing on the court, Ellsworth said.

Players from both teams organized the “secret game” when they met at secret interracial prayer meetings at the Durham YMCA. Ellsworth said people who crossed the color lines had to be discreet in the 1940s to avoid becoming targets of violence. That same year in Durham, a black soldier was murdered just for refusing to move to the back of the bus, he said.

The Eagles won the game, but the significance of the game went beyond the final score.

NCCU, Duke Play Illegal, Racially-Integrated 'Secret Game' in 1944

“The word got out that there was a new kind of basketball being played at North Carolina College,” Ellsworth said. “All that summer of 1944, carloads of white basketball players for the Tar Heels from UNC drove over from Chapel Hill to try to get a pick-up game with McLendon’s black players, and they were blown away by what they saw.”

Ellsworth said those white players then took McLendon’s game with them when they returned to their hometowns of Boston, Philadelphia and New York. The secret game, Ellsworth concluded, was therefore an important moment in the evolution of basketball, and also in the evolution of civil rights.

“It was a part of this generation…that really started to lay the groundwork that the civil rights movement was going to thrive on,” Ellsworth said.

Read this New York Times article about the secret game by Scott Hillworth in its entirety.

Paving the way to present day

Incredibly, one game in 1944 completely changed the foundation of basketball in the country, especially in Durham. From elementary hoops to the unforgettable plays we see today in the National Basketball Association, we are witness to history in motion.

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The history of basketball in Durham also extends to close geographic neighbors. We’d be remiss if we didn’t address the Duke/UNC Tobacco Road nemeses; the two universities sit just eight miles apart, and have been playing each other for almost 100 years. The two schools have combined for 38 of the 65 ACC tournament titles and 50 regular season crowns, made it to 36 Final Fours and claimed 11 NCAA national championships.

Both schools have supported and cultivated renowned talent. Michael Jordan (a member of the NCAA championship team in 1982) and other Carolina greats like James Worthy, Vince Carter, Rasheed Wallace, and Rick Fox donned the lighter color blue. But Kyrie Irving, J.J. Redick, Jay Bilas, Shane Battier, Bobby Hurley, Grant Hill, and Christian Laettner played for the Blue Devils with pride. The list continues, with extraordinary freshman talent adorning Duke’s roster this season, and Carolina contending with remarkable players to call their own.

Want to relive history and celebrate talent in the here and now? Visit the Duke Basketball Museum and Sports Hall of Fame, or catch both teams in action this season during this year’s epic March madness matchups at bars and restaurants fit for the best spectator vibes in Durham.